Chapter 18Physical Geography of AfricaThe Plateau ContinentObjective: Analyze key features of Africa’s physical geography, climate/vegetation, & human-environment interaction

Chapter 18 Section 1Landforms & ResourcesVocabulary: Basin, Nile River, Rift Valley, Mount Kilimanjaro, & Escarpment

Objective: Describe the distinctive African landforms of rift valleys, lakes, mountains, & escarpments

A Vast Plateau•Africa moved very little

during continental drift•Plateaus are Africa’s

most prominent physical features

•Several basins lie throughout the plateaus

•The Nile River is the longest river in the world covering more than 4,000 miles

•Africa contains waterfalls, rapids, & gorges

Distinctive African Landforms•As continental plates

pulled apart, it formed Rift Valleys in Africa

•Lakes are formed at the bottom of the rift valleys

•Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world located within the rift valley

•Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain

Africa’s Wealth of Resources• Africa has a large amount

of resources but lacks the industrial base & money to develop them

• Africa has large quantities of gold, platinum, chromium, cobalt, copper, phosphates, diamonds, & other minerals

• Due to European colonial rule, African nations have been slow to develop the infrastructure & industries to turn the resources into valuable products

• Libya, Nigeria, & Algeria have oil reserves

Diversity of Resources• Coffee is the most

profitable commodity in Africa

• They grow 20% of the world’s supply

• Lumber is another important commodity in Africa

• Other major commodities include sugar, palm oil, & cocoa

• 66% of Africans earn their living from farming

Chapter 18 Section 2Climate & VegetationVocabulary: Sahara, Aquifer, Oasis, Serengeti Plain, & Canopy

Objective: Explain the distribution of warm climates in Africa

A Warm Continent• The Sahara is the largest

desert in the world, that stretches 3,000 miles across the continent

• Temperatures can rise as high as 134 degrees during the day but freezing at night

• Travelers rely on camels who can go up to 17 days without water

• Underground water called aquifers are located below the desert

• Oasis support vegetation & wildlife

Sunshine & Rainfall•Rainfall in Africa is

often a matter of extremes; some areas get too much rain, while other parts receive too little

•It also varies year to year & season to season

•Central Africa receives the most precipitation, as rain falls throughout the year

•In the Sahara may not see rain for years

A Grassy Continent•Africa’s vegetation

consists of grasslands, rain forests, & a wide variety of other plant life

•The Serengeti Plain has dry climate & hard soil that prevents the growth of trees & many crops

•However it has a vast quantity of grass

Africa’s Extremes•The major rain forest

of Africa is on the Congo Basin

•The massive number of plants, leaves, & trees block out much of the sunlight

•Most animals in the rain forest live in the canopy (uppermost layer of branches)

•Farmers use slash & burn to clear the land

Chapter 18 Section 3Human-Environment InteractionObjective: Niger Delta, Sahel, Desertification, Aswan High Dam, & Silt

Objective: Explain the harm caused by oil operations in Nigeria

Desertification of the Sahel• Sahel: narrow band of dry

grassland that runs along the Sahara

• Desertification is an expansion of dry conditions into moist areas that are next to deserts

• Human causes of desertification include overgrazing, farming, irrigation, & overpopulations

• Desertification is destroying land & is difficult to slow down

Harming the Environment in Nigeria• Oil accounts for 80% of

Nigeria’s income• Nigeria’s government owed

millions of dollars in loans to drill more oil

• Mismanagement, poor planning, corruption, & decline in oil prices has left Nigeria poor then before the oil boom

• 4,000 oil spills have occurred & very little clean up is done

• Nigeria has started economic reforms & trying to find ways for Nigeria to benefit again

Controlling the Nile• Egypt has faced

issues controlling the floodwaters of the Nile River

• They build the Aswan High Dam that keeps the water year round & releases its for farmers

• The dam has increased farmable land by 50%

• However it causes issues with no deposits of silt & less fertile soil